May 9, 2011

Masdevallia filaria is another species from the Saltatrices section of Masdevallia. Compared with the flowers of Masdevallia ventricularia in the previous post the relationship is obvious. Both have the tubular shape and "belly" that are characteristic of this section.

The plant of this species is about 10 cm tall and the flowers 5 cm in height. Like the previous species it blooms in the spring and comes from Colombia. Its name, filaria, refers to the thread-like tails of the flowers and it sometimes considered to be the same species as ventricularia.